Cottonwood Festival runs today through Sunday

Janessa Maxilom — Daily News
Robert Cruz a ride supervisor with Playtime Amusements Inc. sets up the 'Aladdin' ride at Alameda Park on Thursday for the 24th annual Cottonwood Festival. The three-day Cottonwood Festival hours are between 3 p.m. and 10 p.m. today, Saturday between 10 a.m. and Sunday between noon and 6 p.m. The pancake breakfast is between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Pancake breakfast tickets are 7 each.

The Alamogordo Chamber of Commerce is kicking off the annual Cottonwood Festival early this year.

Lenora Stevens, the chamber of commerce vice president, said the festival starts today at 3 p.m. at the Alameda Park. Stevens said the chamber chose to start the festival a day earlier than previous years.

"The festival is always during Labor Day weekend," Stevens said. "The only thing we've changed this time were the event hours are now Friday, Saturday and Sunday. In years past it's always been Saturday, Sunday and Monday so it included the actually Labor Day holiday and this year we're not doing that."

Stevens said this year is the 24th annual and consecutive celebration of the Cottonwood Festival. Stevens said the festival is hosted by the chamber every year to provide entertainment for people in the community and to generate tourism.

Stevens said this year the festival will have a special visitor drop by to participate in the festivities.

Mike Espiritu, the chamber president said Gov. Susan Martinez will be the guest speaker at the welcoming ceremony at 11 a.m. Saturday in the park.

"(Martinez) is coming down to our Cottonwood Festival is a really good thing for us," Espiritu said. "She's going to have a campaign booth at the gazebo in the center of the park. She's going to be speaking primarily about different things that are happening in the state. I think what's important is she's going to be here to be able to visit with the citizens."

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For people not interested in politics there will also be live entertainment and amusement park rides available at the festival.

"We'll have live bands sponsored by local businesses," Espiritu said. "There will be rides for people of all ages too."

Stevens said the chamber has also planned a special pancake breakfast during the festival.

"The Chamber Ambassador's are having a pancake breakfast on Saturday and Sunday with made to order eggs with pancakes, coffee and juice," she said. "Pancake breakfast tickets are available at $7 each. The pancake breakfast will be located on the south end of the park. It will be open from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday."

Stevens said all the funds raised from the pancake breakfast would go towards scholarships for the chamber's Junior Ambassador Program.

She said there would also be a beer garden sponsored by the Johnny Carino's restaurant. She said this is the second year the festival will have a beer garden at the event.

"Beer garden tickets are $3 for the wrist band and of course people must be 21 years of age or older to be able to get in," she said. " Wrist bands are $3 dollars each or two for $5 dollars."

Stevens said the chamber has worked hard to host a fun family event and she hopes a lot of people show up.

"It's hopefully going to be bigger and better than it has been in the past," Stevens said.

She said the Cottonwood Festival is a beneficial event for the community.

"It really drives a lot of community awareness because we have a lot of local vendors," Stevens said. "But it also gives an opportunity for out of town and out of state vendors to come to our community. So it increases that tourism and the visitation to our community which of course everyone benefits from."

Stevens said the great thing about the festival is that entry is free to the public.

"The event is free and open to the public to attend the Cottonwood Festival," she said.

She said the event is unique to Alamogordo and that it honored the history and heritage of the city.

"It's to celebrate the history of Alamogordo right here in Alameda Park under the cottonwood trees the town was named after," she said.

The three-day Cottonwood Festival hours are between 3 p.m. and 10 p.m. today, Saturday between 10 a.m. and Sunday between noon and 6 p.m. The pancake breakfast is between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Pancake breakfast tickets are $7 each.

For more information about the festival, call the Alamogordo Chamber of Commerce at 437-6120.